Archive | November, 2013

It’s the eve before Thanksgiving Eve (also known as Tuesday) and the day/eve, was a fucking mess. We got an ice storm last night, so B-Man’s school was cancelled today and I needed to get the snow tires back on the xB. Not to mention I had a million other things to do as we prepare for our trip back to Western PA for the holiday. Thankfully (or not) I had the chance to squeeze in 40 minutes on the trainer. 40 minutes that would have been better spent guzzling a vodka/sleeping pill/Lexapro cocktail instead of half heartedly spinning along and going nowhere for 40 minutes of a planned 60.

Don’t get me wrong, I am anxious to see my father, brother, sister, and in-laws, but mentally I would rather suck on a gas pipe than have to endure four days of explaining why the magazine went bust and I am mooching off my Wife’s brain and (thankfully) its associated income with no gainful employment in sight. But… such is life. I am very thankful. A slacker, but a THANKFUL slacker.

A cold and blustery, grey Monday morning had me returning to the gym for an hour and a half sweat-fest. Believe me, my workouts are no big deal and I have nothing to write about, so I thought I would share one of the random conversations I so often find myself drawn into. Today’s just happened to take place in the locker room of my gym (Maury Ballstein’s) with two random naked Silver Sneakers.

There aren’t many artists, musicians, or sports figures that I would honestly care to meet and NO political figures at all (swarmy bastards!) I always fear that they would be total assholes and ruin any fondness I ever had for their art or abilities. Why ruin it?

The photographer (and painter) Saul Leiter would be an exception to this rule.

Today was a perfect day for a road ride. Naturally, I went for a mountain bike ride.

You would think that I would have remembered the gusting 40+ mile per hour winds that rocked Michigan last Sunday and Monday. You would also think that I wouldn’t be forced to use an iPhone to take pics because I forgot my real camera on my desk. Go ahead and think those things, but you would be wrong.

I have had this torture device for a while now, but never really took the time to use it. Then after suffering with some mild back discomfort (most likely due to my half assed weight lifting technique at the gym) the past few days, I decided to take the time and watch some videos (like the one below) on the proper use and how to really fuck myself over with it.

Mountain bike pioneer Charlie Kelly in a promotional photo (circa 1980-ish?) taken by Gary Fisher for their company– MountainBikes. According to Kelly’s personal (history packed) website, the bike in the photo was Fisher’s as he couldn’t yet afford one of the very bikes they were selling.

Back then, you paid $1,300 up front to a couple of California hippies, waited a month or more and eventually you got yourself a 28 pound, fully rigid mountain bike.

Check out Kelly’s site for a shit ton of amazing photos and information about the early days of mountain biking. It’s pretty cool to see so much history of a sport that was invented during my lifetime.

I made this up in less than 10 minutes after the gym today. Some chicken or beef in it would have been nice, but for a quick lunch it was pretty OK. Then again, after last night’s meatloaf binge and 2 a.m. case of the meat sweats, I was just fine with meatless version. Who knew you could excrete ground beef and pork through your pores???